Chandigarh: The Budget session of the Haryana Assembly on Saturday opened with a symbolic walkout by the main Opposition party INLD and BJP-HJC combine to protest against "short duration" of the House sessions.

When the Assembly had passed a resolution making "obituary references" to former Prime Minister IK Gujral and some others, senior INLD leader Ashok Arora demanded that the sessions should be of longer duration.

"The Budget session will last till March 11. There are many holidays in between as well. We want to have a longer duration of the assembly so that the MLAs get enough time to raise vital issues concerning the people," Arora told the Chair.

He said that an amendment should be made to the Rules, making it mandatory for the House to meet for a particular set of days during a year.

BJP's legislature party leader Anil Vij also lamented that the state assembly generally has short sittings.

He said that a Central legislation should make it compulsory for state assemblies to meet for at least 60-70 days in a year.

INLD's Rampal Majra also raised similar demand, saying the House should meet atleast for two months in a year.

Intervening on the issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said that Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Assembly, which has representatives from across the parties, meets for the very purpose so that all members, including the Opposition, can put their views there before the House business is finalized.

Surjewala lamented that Opposition members often don't give their suggestions before the BAC, but are only interested to making noises inside the House so that they can make headlines in the newspapers.

Later, the INLD, BJP and lone Haryana Janhit Congress MLA Renuka Bishnoi staged a symbolic walkout from the House. The presentation of the Budget estimates for the year 2013-14 will be held on March 1.